Garth Brooks announces Croke Park gigs

The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event will take place on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July.

The singer flew into Dublin's Croke Park on Monday to make the announcement; nearly 16 years after he last played sell out concerts at the venue.

At a special press conference, he said: "Before we go back on tour in the Fall of 2014, I want to challenge myself, the band, and crew.

"In '97, we were lucky enough to play Croke Park, the stadium was under construction. (There was over) 130,000 of some of the greatest fans in the world.

"I was quoted then as saying "When this stadium is finished, I would love to come back and try to fill it again...this time to the brink."...and we're back to do just that."

On Monday, social media sites were buzzing with speculation that the Friends in Low Places singer would be the mystery artist to reveal the gigs.

Following the announcment, Twitter was filled with excited fans, with one user wrtiing: "(Garth Brooks) is gonna be unreal. That man has been top of my concert bucket since I was child!"

Another added: "I was too young for the last one, I'm not missing this one for anything!!"

Speaking to U105's Johnny Hero, Brooks revealed he feels right at home in Ireland.

He said: "Everybody is always so sweet and welcoming (in Ireland) and it just felt I was among family so I just relaxed.

"I never take it for granted, but it is one of the sweetest feelings in the world that playing music is enough, that's a great gift to give somebody.

"It's not hard in any Garth Brooks interview you find, if people ask "where do you feel at home at and where do the people treat you like they are your family?" it's Ireland."

Brooks' career saw him named the number one selling solo artist in US history, shifting more than 128 million albums and receiving countless industry accolades.

He retired in 2001 and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his children. Despite ending his career at its peak he has made a few select performances including in 2008 when he headlined President Barack Obama's inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial.

That year he performed five concerts in two days with the money from 83,000 ticket sales going to efforts to prevent fire catastrophes, and in December 2010 he played nine sold-out concerts in six days to raise money for flood relief efforts in Tennessee.

Tickets for Garth Brooks live at Croke Park, Dublin go on sale Thursday 30 January at 9am.